Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) constitutes a serious threat to public health in the world and is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide due to a single infectious agent (Warren et al, Differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by PCR amplification of genomic regions of difference, 2006 July, Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 10 (7):818-822). The CDC reports that in 2011, there were an estimated 8.7 million new cases of MTB (13% co-infected with HIV); 1.4 million people died from MTB, including almost one million deaths among HIV-negative individuals and 430,000 among people who were HIV-positive. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that MTB is one of the top killers of women, with 300,000 deaths among HIV-negative women and 200,000 deaths among HIV-positive women in 2011. It is among the top three causes of death for women aged 15 to 44. MTB is also a leading killer of people living with HIV causing one quarter of all deaths. There were an estimated 0.5 million cases and 64,000 deaths among children in 2011. Multi-drug resistant MTB (MDR-TB) is increasing and is present in virtually all countries surveyed. Geographically, the burden of MTB is highest in Asia and Africa. WHO reported that overall MTB case detection is still less than 60% in low-income countries (LICs) and only 66% globally. That is, of an estimated 8.7 million people who become ill with MTB in 2011, 2.9 million with active disease were not diagnosed and notified to national MTB control programs. In addition, only 19% of MDR-MTB cases were appropriately diagnosed and notified. Fewer than 1 in 20 new MTB patients have access to drug susceptibility testing. Due to the risk of spread of MTB, the potential for the emergence of drug-resistant strains, and the severity of the disease in patients infected with HIV-1, a low price, prompt and accurate MTB molecular test is extremely important. Routine cultures are time-consuming and can take up to six weeks. Microscopic examination of acid-fast smears is the most rapid method for the detection of mycobacteria, but it is insensitive and non-specific.